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If its bull explain why. We are too young and crazy to be good this year. We aren't even where Minny was last year, and this year the west is deeper, and we don't have the team they had last year. You guys thinking we are playoff bound are also the ones that thought Aminu was going to play every night like he did those first 3 games.

Nope. We are mid lottery at worst 10-12 pick at best. And there is no shame in that.

Not as good as Minny last year? Anderson, Vasquez, Lopez, and Davis vs Love, Pekovic, Ridnour, and Rubio.

That's no lopsided match up. Neverminding that many people assumed we'd have a certain max contract playing this year.

A reasonably healthy season all around? Hell yeah we're a fringe playoff team. Even now this season is hardly set in stone. Can't be understated how 7 of the 12 people on this squad are brand new to the team. And four of THOSE are rookies. For them all to learn how to play D together will be a trial by fire. But I'd bank money, if I had any, that we'll be back to our strong defending ways before long.

And my gut tells me Demps ain't done wheelin' and dealin', either. So a lot of things are in flux.

Even with a healthy Gordon and Davis this is a mid to late lottery team. We are not an 8th seed even on our best day. Why people keep thinking that is crazy. We are young. We have not gelled. We have no scorers on this team outside of one injured guy.

This doesn't mean we will never be good. If we get a 5-8 spot lotto pick (which I imagine won't be hard) we will get another key piece to a championship team. This years draft if center heavy, so we get out twin tower to put next to Davis. Give that guy a year with our young crew, and by his second, and Davis and Rivers 3rd year we will have a top 3 or 4 (in the conference) team. The following year we will be top 3 or 4 in the league.

Couldn't agree more. This isn't a playoff team even with a healthy Gordon. It's not like the young talented Clippers was a playoff team with Eric. Fhis team is at least 2 years away from playoff contention at best.

We do have to remember one thing though... Davis, Gordon, Anderson, Rivers is an incredible starting point for a franchise. We also have Nick Collison, Thabo Sefolosha, Eric Maynor type role players on this team in the form of Jason Smith, Greives Vasquez and Darius Miller. We need 2 more big pieces (PG + C/SF) + development and we are set. The future is incredibly, incredibly bright. Other than OKC we are in the best position in this league right now in terms of assets + flexibility + future outlook.

IMO I think we are in good shape. Personally, I had maybe unrealistic expectations, I thought 35-40 wins. But I know it will make some people upset on this board but I think we need Eric Gordon. Having a slashing to the basket, outside scorer will make things easier for Rivers, Davis and Anderson. I think you would see a different brand of ball. Having a go to guy makes all the difference in the world for a young team. You see the scores of the games we lose and you think, " If Eric played tonight how many points would he have had?" It always comes back to the fact that EG could get us 20-30 points every night, which would close the point gaps big time in these games. Not saying we would win all of them but the games would be closer. Instead of losing 100-78 maybe it would be 100-96. Trust me I am not a huge EG backer, but I must admit we need this guy. At least for this season.

Couldn't agree more. This isn't a playoff team even with a healthy Gordon. It's not like the young talented Clippers was a playoff team with Eric. Fhis team is at least 2 years away from playoff contention at best.

Yes, he is. Davis has the higher ceiling, but is no where close to realizing it.

"I'm not going to allow my putative owner to answer that question, this is an NBA related press conference. Paul Tagliabue and Roger Goodell have collectively sung their praises of Tom and if uh ESPN has a problem with that tell Mr. Skipper to call me at my office."

I like how everyone thinks competitive drive a switch you turn on and off. If you let your players play timid for years to improve your chances to get a pick, they will see that is accepted and foster that mentality. Most people the average age of our roster are very impressionable. You don't get 4 good picks and just "turn the switch on" and next thing you're competing with the best and guys who have had that competitive fire for years.

We obviously aren't intentionally tanking. We just have major deficiencies at the moment. We will be a bottom half team for awhile throughout season. I don't imagine we will look so out of sync for long though. We will make some adjustments and look competitive again.

I know what he said. But he's still saying the same thing. Now, the future, they're all one and the same. Davis is the franchise.

And if one has to be right, Gordon has never played with anyone on a level comparable or even debatable to say exceeding his own for any length of time.

Why can't we have 2 faces of the franchise? OKC has Durant and Westbrook, and there are many other examples of this in the league. Let's not try to play Davis and Gordon against each other. Gordon will take Davis to an all new level when they run the PnR together, and I can't wait for that. These 2 can be a truly special combination *insert Gordon injury joke*.

A healthy Gordon is way better than Davis right now. If you want to debate who will be better at their primes this is a discussion. Gordon creates for himself something Davis has yet to prove. And Gordon is a good defender and Davis has been poor at best at anything other than blocks and rebounds

We do have to remember one thing though... Davis, Gordon, Anderson, Rivers is an incredible starting point for a franchise. We also have Nick Collison, Thabo Sefolosha, Eric Maynor type role players on this team in the form of Jason Smith, Greives Vasquez and Darius Miller. We need 2 more big pieces (PG + C/SF) + development and we are set. The future is incredibly, incredibly bright. Other than OKC we are in the best position in this league right now in terms of assets + flexibility + future outlook.

This this this

"It’s important to us to bring in good people, people who can fit in the locker room and people you want to root and cheer for. People that want to win. We’re trying to build for the long haul.” -Dell Demps

Why can't we have 2 faces of the franchise? OKC has Durant and Westbrook, and there are many other examples of this in the league. Let's not try to play Davis and Gordon against each other. Gordon will take Davis to an all new level when they run the PnR together, and I can't wait for that. These 2 can be a truly special combination *insert Gordon injury joke*.

It's not playing them against one another. They will enhance one another.

Originally Posted by da ThRONe

A healthy Gordon is way better than Davis right now. If you want to debate who will be better at their primes this is a discussion. Gordon creates for himself something Davis has yet to prove. And Gordon is a good defender and Davis has been poor at best at anything other than blocks and rebounds

And scoring efficiently. And getting to the line and making FTs. And help defense. And running the floor.

But other than that, yeah pretty poor at best.

You like hyperbolic lines, here's one: Davis is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

We still need to infuse this team with some talent. No Gordon, Davis, Aminu and Rivers are our best athletes. This team is made in Monty's image right now, with the majority of this team being Monty-like players. I'm sure he has a soft spot for those kinds of guys.

Our overall talent needs to be upgraded to go along with Davis, Aminu and Rivers. Right now we have a few really young guys and a young guy with an elite skill in Anderson. If this is truly a year in which you want to teach and develop your talent, then the bottom of the roster should evolve and change through out the year.

I really thought picking up a guy like Shaun Livingston would have been a good move for this team, still a young guy who is a real floor general and despite that injury is still a really good athlete who can dictate tempo.

There are a few guys out there right now with talent who would upgrade the talent on this roster, who wouldn't disrupt our youth movement, who's waiting for an chance with a team like this and a chance to be molded by a coach like Monty. I mean they have to be hungry enough to come in and give effort and use that talent.

I meant defensively he hasn't done much out side of rebounding and blocks.

I agree he has been very efficient on offense. However like I've said it's been as a results of the system and he's not better than Gordon.

When you say system it's like he's getting brilliant play designs that puts him in a position to score. It's not like if he were playing for the Spurs he'd be doing something else. He'd probably be running pick and rolls, posting up, and coming up with lose balls and making plays near the rim.

When you say system it's like he's getting brilliant play designs that puts him in a position to score. It's not like if he were playing for the Spurs he'd be doing something else. He'd probably be running pick and rolls, posting up, and coming up with lose balls and making plays near the rim.

Either way his points are coming from open shots and clear lanes to the basket. He's doing a excellent job of scoring the times he's contacted and he's shooting really well from the ft line. But there's no comparison of Davis' ability to create versus Gordon's ability to create.

And that's just on offense. As impressive as Davis' offensive production has been his defensive output has been equally unimpressive.